Children from wealthy homes were privately tutored or attended private schools. The poor child continued to be uneducated and was put to work instead. Beginning in the 18th century, particularly in America, communities established public schools, and hired teachers, but lacked textbooks. In place of books, stationers sold blank books, ruled and plain, sometimes with advertisements on the wrappers, for the students to use for copybooks. Arithmetic problems were presented to the students who copied them into these blank books from blackboards. Penmanship exercises were also practiced in these same blank books.